


Stay Alive

by Skwibbiblee



Series: Differences draw us closer [5]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: F/M, he got shot what do you expect?, rated up for mentions of wounds and blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-20 07:38:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10657941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skwibbiblee/pseuds/Skwibbiblee
Summary: Philip survives the shot, but he is wounded. Feverish and lonely, he fades in and out of consciousness for days on end, his mother, his lover, and his family helping him recover.





	Stay Alive

A heartbeat.

Screaming.

Pain.

Silence.

Philip woke in a dark room, in deep pain, bringing a careful hand to his abdomen, hissing through his teeth as his fingers ran over a fleshy wound, the sides of it frayed and bubbled with pebbling blood and infection. It was a right mess to look at. Imagine how it felt.

He tried sitting up and let out a cry of pain, eyes shaking in his skull, face burning with fever, falling flat back into his bed. He tried to get up again, crying out, like a wild animal. He began to hyperventilate in the dark, calling out for anyone, fearing the worst. If this was purgatory, why did everything hurt so bad? Was he in Hell? Had he really been so terrible to have ended up in a place where all he felt was pain?

He brought a hand to his chest, feeling for a pulse, a heartbeat, anything to confirm he wasn't freaking out for no reason. 

A beat.

Two beats.

Three.

One. Two. Three.

He felt tears dripping down the sides of his face as he merely laid there, shaking.

A door opened and he was momentarily blinded before the light was snuffed by a gown, long black hair following suit.

Eliza rushed forward, dropping a bowl of water, the liquid seeping over the hardwood floor, splashing as she ran and collapsed at his bedside.

" Philip, oh my goodness, son, are you okay? Can you speak?"

He tried, but his throat felt like sand.

He shook his head, crying a bit harder.

" Oh, my dear boy..."

She ran cold hands over her baby's warm face, leaning forward and kissing his forehead.

" Ma..." 

It was broken, scraggly, and parched to hell, but Philip forced himself to speak.

" My baby boy..."

Tears welled up in his eyes at the sight of his mother sobbing at his bedside.

" I love you so much... Please, I can't take another heartbreak."

Alexander, drawn to the noise, came into the room, blinking at his wife before bringing a hand to his mouth, stifling a sob as he laid his candle down and hurried to his son's side.

" Philip?"

The freckled male blinked at his father, trying to speak, only getting out choked noises, but that seemed like confirmation enough.

" Eliza, is he okay?"

Eliza looked at her husband, smiling through he tears, although it was strained, like she didn't know the answer to his question. And she didn't.

" He spoke to me, but his throat is hurt, and he had to struggle. He's awake, and blinking, and... breathing..."

She laid a hand over her son's chest, laying her head to it and listening to his heartbeat, breaking into a fresh set of tears.

Alexander balked, misunderstanding the situation.

" E-Eliza?"

" He's still here, Alexander.. I'm just in awe at how strong our boy is."

Alexander calmed slightly, wiping his eyes with his sleeves.

Philip smiled, gasping in pain when his mother brushed the wound, crying out a choked noise.

Eliza pulled back and gasped. The bandages were turning red again.

" Alexander, the doctor! Hurry!"

Philip passed out to his father running from the room, calling for help.  
\---

When he had awoken again, Philip was in a new setting, and bright sunlight was filtering through the windows. He made to sit up, and it didn't hurt nearly as bad as before, but it still stung.

His mouth felt like sandpaper as he searched for something to quell his thirst. He found a glass of water and a note. He downed the water and read the note. 

My son,

You've had many a visitor, but none as persistent as your sweetheart. It's been heartbreaking to send her away, but we must do what we must to make sure you stay asleep and recovering, even at the cost of being civil. When you're awake, ring the bell. We'll be near enough to hear it, either your father or myself, or even your siblings. As for your surroundings, we've moved uptown into my father's home. I'll explain more after you awaken. I look forward to seeing your face, my son, bright and beaming with life and happiness.

Your loving mother.

Philip reached over for the bell and shook it, recoiling from the sound, the bell falling to the floor with a loud clank.

The door opened moments later, and Philip was surprised beyond belief to see Theo, followed by his aunt Angelica, James, John, and Angie.

" Guys!"

His throat was still hoarse from lack of use, but Philip didn't care. He sat up a bit more and scooted back against the headboard, wincing at the movement rubbing his wrappings and chaffing his lower abdomen.

Theodosia hurried over, cupping his face and kissing him gently.

Angie ran over next to her and hugged her eldest brother as close and as tight as possible, beginning to tear up. He laid his hands over her and pulled her even closer, just hugging her tight as he could.

" Oh, I've missed you, Angie."

" Not more than I've missed you, dearest brother. Are you well?"

" I feel like I've been shot," he said honestly.

" That's because you were," John replied matter-of-factly.

" It's sarcasm, brother dear."

John hurried over, hugging Philip tightly. 

" You've spooked us all. Especially Ma and Pa. They haven't been eating, or sleeping. It's a right mess in this household. Ms. Burr has been helping us, having taken residence in the guest room."

Philip looked up at her, blinking.

" You did this for me?"

" I'd do anything for you, love."

Philip resisted the urge to surge up and kiss the love of his life breathless in front of his siblings.

Angelica felt Philip's head, withdrawing her hand and dipping and towel into a basin of water that Philip hadn't noticed before, before laying the wet towel over his forehead.

" Lay down, you're still burning hotter than the Icarus' sun."

Philip obediently laid down, wincing at the motion on his wound.

Angelica shooed Philip's siblings from the room before taking the bandages from his body, unraveling the bloody dressing from his body slowly but surely, feeling it tear from his skin, the dried blood disconnecting painfully, but quickly. Theodosia helped her redress the wound after cleaning it gently with soap and water, the patient whimpering from the pain.

Once his wound was redressed, Philip was once again tired, having exerted his strength, which was gradually coming back, but not enough for his liking.

" He looks tired."

" He must be. I don't imagine being shot and getting infected would be too happy an endevour. He must be exhausted," Angelica concluded, taking the dirtied dressing from Theo as they made to leave.

Philip wanted to speak up that he was right there, but couldn't find the strength to. His eyes fluttered closed and he fell back asleep.

\---

The next time he awoke, Eliza was at his bedside, humming softly to one of the swaddled babes in her arms. He smiled softly, just watching his mother. She must have sensed him staring at her, for she looked up at him, caught his eyes, and straightened.

" Philip?"

" Hey, ma."

She stood and took the babe from her arms and laid it down into it's cradle across the room. Philip vaguely recalled it as his own.

Eliza came back over to him and hugged her son gently, so much more gentle than his siblings had. He supposed that was just how his mother was. Gentle.

" Are you well, my son?"

" A tad thirsty, but nothing more, mother."

Eliza dismissed herself from the room to retrieve a glass of water for her son.

When she had returned, Philip was sitting up and was looking at his wound's dressings, prodding it gently with his forefinger.

" Philip," she reprimanded.

He paused, looking up and grinning sheepishly. Eliza walked over and set the glass down.

" Ma?"

" Yes, my son?"

" Has Ms. Burr been around?"

" Why, yes, she has."

" Is she here?"

" Yes."

" May I see her?"

Eliza smiled softly.

" Helpless?"

" Helpless."

" I shall be back. You take it easy, and do NOT press on your dressing. The doctor says your wound is finally healing."

She returned with Theodosia in tow.

Philip grinned at her.

She was dressed in her everyday clothes, but, like always, he found her as the most beautiful thing in the room. Correction: Not thing, person. The only one in comparison was his mother, but she had nothing on the gorgeous lady who was coming closer.

She kissed his forehead and he kissed her cheek.

" Theodosia."

" Philip."

Eliza picked up her resting baby and left the room, closing the door.

Theodosia smiled gently, caressing her lover's freckled face, making it her goal to feel every single one beneath her palm. She booped his nose, and he scrunched up his face, causing her to giggle.

" You never fail to amuse me, Mr. Hamilton."

" Well, if I must entertain, who better a contestant, Ms. Burr?"

She sat beside him, digging through a satchel he hadn't noticed was around her.

" I've been writing to you nightly."

" Oh?"

" Don't give me that face, I knew one day you'd be up to reading these, so I planned ahead, and wrote, like you were writing back, and not sitting in bed sleeping."

" You make it sound like i'm a husband just trying to avoid his wife," Philip laughed out," and not a man who was in a coma for a few days, I believe."

" Try weeks."

Philip blinked.

" I'm sorry, what?"

" You've been in and out of consciousness for weeks."

" Oh goodness..."

Theodosia frowned, leaning forward and kissing him gently.

" You couldn't have estimated it would take this long to recover, love."

" I didn't estimate being shot, either."

" Fair. Annnnyway."

She handed him the letters, each rolled out neatly in his palms, smelling faintly of Theodosia herself. A soft, warm scent, like a bakery, and also wood smoke, meaning she would have written by a fire. He pictured her huddling there, hopelessly scritching away on parchment with her quill.

He smiled as she handed him the last one. It was like his own little book of love notes and updates on the world around him.

" I'll read them as soon as I can."

" Thank you."

She leaned against his shoulder, closing her eyes, just enjoying the quiet with him.

Philip closed his eyes and leaned against her as well, smiling softly.

They could make this work.


End file.
